Reuniting
by NativeStar
Summary: Set during and after 2x04 X-Ray Penny. Jack's reunited with Mac after he escapes from Murdoc's torture room and they deal with Paris with more than just a fist bump and apology.
1. Chapter 1

_Author Notes: This is actually the first fic for Macgyver I started working on back in November, it just kept growing and growing because there was just so much packed into that episode that we didn't see. I mean, who didn't feel cheated that after all the worrying about Mac we didn't even get a hug? _

* * *

_War Room_

Jack decided that once they got him back, he was definitely going to ask Mac if it was actually possible to wear a hole in the floor by pacing. Because he had only done two things to find Mac in the last hour. Waiting and pacing. And he'd had enough of both. Riley hadn't looked away from her laptop in at least two hours, Cage was co-ordinating at the crime scenes, Matty barely got off the phone before she was making another call and Bozer, well, he hadn't seen Bozer since he'd brought everyone mugs of coffee that now sat on the table next to the first cups of coffee he'd brought in that no one had drunk either. Jack hoped he wasn't getting more coffee.

"We got him!" Riley suddenly shouted.

"What?" Jack started heading to the door. _Finally._ He paused in the doorway. "Are you sure?"

"I've been monitoring emergency calls and a 911 was just flagged up matching Mac's description. Unconscious male, late twenties. I cross referenced it with cctv in the area and its definitely Mac. It looks like he came out of a… manhole cover?"

Riley frowned in confusion as she hit a few keys and Jack watched on the large screen as Mac barely avoided being hit by not one but two cars. Jack winced. _Riley, __this better have a happy ending, __I can't watch Mac getting hit__._ But although Mac somehow dodged the traffic, he didn't even get to the sidewalk before he staggered and went down _hard _on the kerb. It looked painful and he was pretty sure Mac's head had also hit the ground which was definitely not good if he was already dealing with a possible head injury judging by his unsteady trek across the road.

"What's the ETA on the paramedics?" Jack asked Riley.

"Six minutes."

"Dammit, I won't beat them there. Matty!" Jack shouted as he left the room.

"I'll handle them Jack, go get our boy."

* * *

_Ten foot from a manhole cover_

Mac was lying down on a gurney with a paramedic standing next to him when Jack arrived. The head of it was raised and he was covered by an orange blanket up to his waist. Mac's eyes were closed but Jack could see he was too tense to be unconscious or asleep. Knowing he was both awake and not being rushed away for more advanced medical help did a lot to lower Jack's worry from borderline panic to moderate concern. Well, maybe severe concern. _Maybe_.

"Mac!" He shouted as he jogged the last few feet. The paramedic didn't look surprised so Jack guessed Matty had warned them about an overprotective partner's imminent arrival.

Mac's head turned towards Jack's voice but it took a moment longer before he managed to open his eyes.

"Hey," he replied, "Took you long enough."

Jack smiled, humour was also a good sign. "Well, I didn't want to get any speeding tickets, you know?"

"Yeah, like you stuck to a single speed limit on the way here."

"You know it." Jack put his hand on Mac's shoulder, the one that hadn't taken the brunt of the impact when he'd collapsed onto the kerb, and gave it a quick squeeze. "How is he?" Jack asked the paramedic, Sue according to her name badge, who was taking a blood pressure cuff off Mac's arm.

"_He_ is right here. And _he_ is fine." Mac answered for her. "I just need to get this drug out of my system." He rubbed a hand across his forehead. "It's making me dizzy and it's hard to think straight."

Jack frowned, was a drug better than a head injury? What the hell had Murdoc done to Mac?

Sue smiled reassuringly. "He's being a model patient." She told Jack dryly. Luckily, she seemed more amused than annoyed with Mac's irritation. "He has an elevated heart rate and blurred vision to go with the dizziness and loss of balance. He also threw up before we got here so I think we can add nausea to the list too. Although he won't admit to that." She looked at Mac, "You need to be monitored in a hospital until we know what you were given."

Mac shook his head. "I'm already feeling a lot better. If its what I think it is then it should wear off in less than an hour. Hopefully a lot less because it's making it very hard to concentrate."

"It's also making you cranky," Jack added, "but that's okay. I'm going to ignore that on the basis that you've been kidnapped and drugged against your will by a psychopath earlier today so that buys you a pass. No need to apologise later."

"Thanks." The sarcasm in Mac's voice said otherwise. Jack just waited; it wasn't the first time he'd had to deal with an injured partner. Mac sighed and pinched his nose. "And sorry." He added quietly.

"Ah ah ah, I said no apologies necessary."

Sue listened to their conversation with interest. "You guys cops?" She guessed.

"Something like that, we're partners." Jack answered.

"Yeah, we got the message from dispatch." Sue said as her own partner handed her some equipment from the back of their ambulance. "Okay, Mr Macgyver, we're going to start an IV. It'll help with the dehydration and should also help flush whatever you were given from your system."

"No." Mac refused. "Just get me a bottle of water."

"I don't think you'll be able to keep enough water down with your nausea. This will be much easier."

"That's a matter of opinion and I disagree. If I drink it slow I think it'll stay down."

Sue frowned, "Is it a problem with the needle? We can numb the area first if you want, and I promise I'm very good at this, I'll find a vein first go."

"No, no that's not the problem, I just really don't want another IV today." Mac rolled his head back towards Jack. "Jack?"

And dammit if Jack could never say no to the kid when he looked at him like that. Even he didn't fully understand what Mac meant by _another IV_ he would never not be on Mac's side when he needed him. If Mac said he didn't want an IV and refusing it wasn't going to cause him further harm then they'd have to go through Jack to do it.

"Does he absolutely need this IV or can we at least try another way first?" Jack asked.

Recognising she'd lost this battle Sue nodded resignedly. "Guess I'll go find a bottle of water."

But she'd barely stepped back onto her bus before Mac had another idea.

"Actually, I don't need any of this." He abruptly pulled off the blanket covering his legs and swung them over in what would have been one fluid motion to stand if his legs hadn't immediately buckled. It was only Jack's quick reflexes that stopped him from hitting the ground. Mac groaned in frustration, he was getting real sick and tired of falling over today and his body not doing what he wanted it to.

He leaned into Jack, letting him take his weight for a moment. Jack was reassuringly solid and kept him steady.

"Whoa, easy there tough guy. I think your legs have a different opinion." Jack said. "Just take it easy." Jack supported him until he was sat on the edge of the gurney.

"You okay?" He asked, leaving a hand on Mac's shoulder just in case he took another nose dive.

Mac nodded. Not sure he could trust his voice when his head was still spinning and he felt like throwing up. He slapped the gurney with his open palm. When was this damn drug going to release him?

"The lab's ready and waiting for your blood, pal. We'll find out what we're dealing with as soon as possible."

Apparently the drug was doing such a number on him that Mac didn't even realise he'd said that last sentence out loud. Or had he?

"I can't think properly, Jack." He confessed.

"I know, pal. It's the drug. It's just the drug. You'll be alright."

"I didn't realise you'd picked up a medical degree since I saw you in Paris." Mac snapped. Jack dropped his hand from Mac's shoulder.

Mac groaned, and this time it wasn't in pain. "I really am cranky, aren't I?" He looked up at Jack. "Can I get an extension on that apology pass?"

"Sure," Jack answered quickly. "To be honest, I'm so glad to find you safe and relatively in one piece that I'd get you just about anything you asked for right now."

"Well, right now, I just want to get out of here." Mac sighed. "Can you take me home, Jack?"

"I can do the next best thing, buddy, Phoenix Medical."

Mac pulled a face.

"Come on buddy, you know that's non-negotiable. Best I can do."

"Yeah, alright." Mac slipped off the gurney onto his feet a little slower this time. He didn't feel any steadier but he stayed upright and he smiled at Jack.

Jack was giving him a strange look. A mix of relief, pride and other things that they didn't speak about but both knew. It only lasted a moment because Jack then gently grabbed him in a bear hug, holding on tight. Mac didn't hesitate to return it.

"You really scared me this time, kiddo."

"Scared myself too. Murdoc said he'd hidden me away but good." Mac had known they'd be searching for him but he also knew just how difficult it was once a trail went cold. It had been a long while since he'd felt so _alone. _Jack let him go and patted him on the shoulder.

"We'd have never stopped looking for you, Mac. No matter how good Murdoc had you hidden, we would have found you."

"I know." Mac said with a soft smile. It was why his team was his family. "Hey, speaking of finding me, how'd you get here so quick? I was about to ask the medics to call you and you just… appeared."

"I'll tell you all about it on the way in." Jack said as he ducked under Mac's shoulder, wrapped an arm around his waist and started walking him to his car. "C'mon hoss, we're gonna need to pick up the pace if we want to get away before the medics notice. And before you start feeling guilty, I'll get Matty to smooth over your escape with them." Jack gave Mac a squeeze of encouragement as he felt him speed up his stagger to the car. "Lets get you home."

* * *

There was a wheelchair waiting for them outside Phoenix, much to Mac's disgust.

"I don't need that."

"You couldn't walk in a straight line to get in the car, what makes you think you can do any differently leaving it?" Jack pointed out.

"Because I'm feeling better now."

"Oh, okay, better is good, now get in the damn chair, you're still not walking."

Mac glared at Jack, then sat in the chair. He wasn't lying, he did feel better especially after finishing off a bottle of water in the car, but his legs were still shaky so all in all it probably was better to get a ride to medical. He leaned his elbow on the arm of the wheelchair and rested his head on his hand. If he kept his head down he hopefully wouldn't have to deal with any concerned colleagues. He didn't feel up to that.

He hadn't given it much thought on the way in but he realised now that the only reason Riley and Bozer hadn't been waiting eagerly in the parking garage was probably because Jack had found a way to warn them and allow Mac a little space and time to get his balance back.

Once they got to medical, Mac laid back on the bed with the head raised up and tried to gather his thoughts which thankfully, was getting easier to do now. Jack sat next to him like a silent sentinel. He absolutely refused to let Mac out of his sight and Mac was still too rattled to argue for privacy. Besides, the exam was all routine and nothing that he hadn't sat through a hundred times before, following both successful and somewhat less successful missions, heart rate, blood pressure, respirations, temperature… At least, up until they did the blood draw.

"You should probably use my left arm, my right's a bit messed up." Mac said quietly.

The nurse frowned and Jack carefully moved Mac's rolled up sleeve further up his arm to reveal an angry cut surrounded by bruising.

"What happened?"

"Uh, Murdoc was drugging me with an IV."

"And?"

"And I pulled it out with my teeth to pick the locks of the handcuffs on the chair." Mac shrugged. "It's difficult to remove a needle carefully when you're only using your teeth."

The nurse took a closer look at his arm.

"We'll get that cleaned up for you. It looks worse than it is, you won't need stitches."

"Thank you, I've had enough needles for one day."

The nurse carried on with the blood draw on Mac's left arm, disinfecting the area and preparing the vials with labels to take to the lab. Mac looked away while she did this, he'd never got nervous about a blood draw before but he could feel his heart rate increasing. Mac took a deep calming breath.

"Any leads on Murdoc yet?"

Jack quickly recognised the cue for a distraction and he was happy to oblige. "No, I've got three separate tac teams searching from where we found you but the sewer system is a maze, and there's about two dozen abandoned warehouses that could possibly match the description you gave in the car. The rest of the team is coming in when you're done with medical and we'll see what we can put together and narrow it down some."

"I'm ready now."

"You're ready when the woman with the medical degree says you're ready." Jack countered.

"Jack, we're losing time here."

"Its not a waste of time to make sure you're okay, Mac. We need to make sure that crazy psychopath didn't leave some ticking time bomb in your bloodstream or something."

"Okay, compromise? I stay here but we bring the meeting down to medical. We can work on finding Murdoc while I'm waiting for the all clear."

Jack stared at Mac, trying to figure out if he really was okay enough for all this. The truth was, Jack wasn't really okay for all this. All he wanted to do was keep Mac out of this, put him somewhere safe, until it was all over and Murdoc was behind bars. But there was no way Mac would agree to that and Jack did trust him. If he said he could do this, then he could do it.

"Okay, fine. But you're taking it easy."

"Promise." Mac grinned and raised his hand in the boy scout salute.

"Don't give me that, it doesn't count if you got kicked out."

"I _quit_."

"Yeah, whatever." Jack waved a hand at Mac as he stepped away to make the phone call to bring the rest of the team down, making sure he kept Mac in his eyesight the whole time.

Thankfully, for now at least, Mac didn't seem to mind the hovering.

* * *

Still working on a beta so please let me know of any glaring errors. Part II is mostly written and I aim to have it up within a week, maybe less if I can work out a few niggles.


	2. Chapter 2

Mac didn't say anything while Murdoc's doing his evil psychopath monologue. It worried Jack, but he was kinda stunned himself, trying to catch his breath and figure out if anything really important was broken, bleeding or busted. Mac didn't _really_ scare Jack until he passed out straight after.

"Mac!"

Pushing aside his own injuries, Jack tried to sit up and a wave of dizziness crashed over him. He paused, closing his eyes and breathing heavily.

"Mac! Answer me!"

"Jack?" Not Mac, but Cage answered.

"You alright, Cage?"

"I'll live." She sounded rattled but otherwise okay.

"Good, Mac passed out and I can't wake him."

He opened his eyes again and when the world didn't lurch in circles, he carefully started to move towards Mac. Shifting the few inches felt like a few miles but Jack got close enough to search Mac's neck for a pulse.

_Come on- Come on- Come on._

_THERE._

_Thank you._

Jack sighed.

"I thought there was a limit to how many times he can scare me in one day. Turns out I was wrong."

"Jack?" Cage sounded confused and Jack realised she didn't know him well enough to know if she should be worried or not by what he'd just said.

"He's okay. Unconscious but okay." _Don't make me a liar Mac._

Faint sirens started to fill the air, getting louder and louder.

"Can you move, Cage?"

"Yeah, I think I'm just bruised."

"Can you go get the medics, bring them over?" Jack didn't want to leave Mac. Although if the way his leg was throbbing was any indication he wasn't sure if he would be walking out anyway.

"Sure." Cage shifted across the wrecked vehicle and out of a smashed window, her movements were almost clumsy and Jack suspected she was a little more than just bruised. But at least she was mobile which was more than could be said for Mac and himself. Mac was wedged in underneath some hefty metalwork but Jack figured it probably wouldn't take much effort with the right equipment to free him up enough to move. The problem was going to be manoeuvring Mac if he didn't wake up.

"Mac. Mac!" Jack tried again, this time he also rubbed the knuckles of his hand firmly along the middle of Mac's chest. Jack personally knew how unpleasant this was but also how effective and it didn't let him down now. Mac groaned as he scrunched his face up in discomfort.

"Mac!"

"Stop shoutin' Jack..."

"Hey there," Jack smiled in relief. "You with me, Mac?"

"Mmm, with you." Mac mumbled.

"It'd be more convincing if you said that with your eyes open, bud."

Mac opened his eyes and immediately frowned. "Murdoc was here." He said as if he'd only just remembered.

"Yeah, he was. He's gone now, along with our prisoner. Matty will know what's happened by now, they'll be working on finding them." Jack reassured Mac. Cage hadn't reappeared yet so Jack hoped she was getting checked out and also updating Matty with the details.

Jack heard footsteps and the dull thud of a medical kit hitting the ground. Above them he heard a spraying sound and he realised they must be putting out a fire. A moment later a head appeared through the broken window.

"Hi, I'm Joe, I'm a paramedic." He said as he crawled into the space above Mac's head and dragged his kit in. "I hear you guys have had a bit of trouble today."

Jack laughed, and to his surprise so did Mac. At least before it was cut off with a grimace.

"Oww, don't make me laugh," Mac complained, bracing his chest.

"You have no idea," Jack answered the paramedic. "No idea."

* * *

No matter what Jack said, the doctors insisted on separating them. Jack understood that Mac would be getting tests and scans and he couldn't follow him for that and from what little Jack had listened to from his own doctor he would be getting at least a few x-rays and tests himself. But he just wasn't comfortable leaving Mac's safety to anyone else at the moment. Murdoc had shown himself more than capable of sneaking into just about anywhere. And a busy medical unit dealing with three casualties would be no problem for him.

It wasn't until Matty had a stern word with him, promising him he would not be seeing Mac for even longer if he didn't _settle down, _that he finally relaxed enough to let the doctors treat him properly.

Thankfully, Bozer bounced between all three of them like a pinball, providing updates to everyone and on his last visit had even snuck in a cup of coffee for Jack. Riley also tried to distract him by demanding her own updates by text from the war room where she was busy trying to track down their fugitives. Once Bozer had managed to convince Jack that no one's injuries were serious he'd left to go help Riley and Jack had reluctantly settled in to wait for the all clear.

It was a few tedious hours of being poked and prodded and tested but Jack was finally released with a diagnosis of bumps and bruises and instructions to rest with a follow up appointment in a few days time. After flying to Paris and back, the stress of Mac's kidnapping _then_ being blown up he was more than ready to do nothing but sleep and eat for a few days. Cage had been a lot more compliant and co-operative with the doctors and had been released an hour ago to also rest at home. That just left Mac to hunt down.

Jack quickly found Mac's room, he'd been just two doors away the whole time, something Bozer had neglected to mention. However, despite what Bozer had said, Mac did not look like he had _minor_ injuries. He was pale and unresponsive on the bed, not even stirring when Jack called his name, he was lying flat on his back when Jack knew he preferred to sleep on his side and had a bruise starting to blossom into a deep purple on his forehead. Had everyone been lying to him? This was not anything that fell under Jack's broadest definition of 'fine'. He turned around to find someone to get answers out of and nearly ran into Mac's Doctor; Katrina Wilkes.

"He's fine, Jack." She cut him off before he could say anything.

"Then why is he still here, unconscious?"

"He's not."

"What?" Jack gestured behind him. Nothing had changed. Mac, on a bed, unconscious.

"He's sleeping, Jack. Just sleeping. None of us have the heart to wake him after the day he's had. He's been through a lot and when the adrenaline wore off he just couldn't stay awake any longer." She reassured him with a smile, after working here for three years she was more than familiar with their partnership.

"So, he's really fine?"

"Fine is a bit of an exaggeration. He's got some deep bruising, a cracked rib and he's exhausted. He needs to rest but he doesn't need to stay here to do that."

"So I can take him home with me?"

Doctor Wilkes chuckled, it was the exact same thing her six year old had said to her when he asked for a puppy last month.

"If that's what he wants and you can wake him up, then yes."

Jack walked back over to Mac as she left the room and this time immediately understood the doc's problem. It seemed only cruel to disturb the first decent rest Mac had gotten in who knew how long. Jack didn't even know if he'd managed to catch any sleep on the flight from Paris so it could have been a _very_ long while.

"Mac." Jack tapped his shoulder firmly, he was aware that while shaking would probably be more effective it would also cause more pain. "Mac, c'mon, rise and shine, time to go."

Nothing.

"Mac?" Still nothing. "Mac!" Jack said louder and turned to the door. Maybe he needed to get the doc back here after all.

"Jack, shut up." Mac muttered but didn't open his eyes.

"Finally." Jack said. "You ready to get out of here, buddy?"

"Really?" That got Mac's attention and he quickly opened his eyes, blinking against the dim light in the room.

"Yeah, they said you just need rest which you can do at home. Yours or mine, dealer's choice."

Mac thought about it for a moment.

"Yours."

"Okay, done. Lets get gone." Jack said then slid a hand under Mac's shoulder to help him up. Mac still didn't look all the way awake.

"Wait, what's Bozer doing?" Mac asked once he was sitting up on the bed. "He stopped by earlier but he didn't say. I don't want him at home alone when we still don't know where Murdoc is."

"He's sleeping on Riley's sofa tonight. He's good. Or he will be once he can drag Riley away from here, she's sorta made it her mission to try and find where Murdoc went." Jack half suspected Riley was going to pull an all-nighter in which case Bozer would be on the war room's sofa but he didn't want to mention it and start giving Mac any ideas.

"Any luck?"

"Not yet. But it's not our problem tonight, our orders are to rest, eat and sleep. We'll pick it up with the team in the morning."

"I can do that." Mac nodded as if it was an actual order. It was a testament to how tired and sore he was that he didn't insist on helping with the search. It was time to get Mac home, Jack decided.

* * *

The drive back to Jack's place was silent, both of them were too exhausted to bother with any kind of talking. It wasn't until they were pulling into Jack's parking spot that Mac spoke.

"I kinda really want my own bed." Mac murmured.

"Really? Because I thought you… never mind. I can take you there, just give me a minute to grab some stuff."

"No, Jack, its fine. I want my own bed but to be honest, I doubt I'd get any sleep at home tonight. I'd rather stay here."

"You're sure?" Jack asked, unconvinced.

"Yes." Mac said firmly before opening the car door and getting out. He felt like he'd aged by a few decades as his bruised muscles had stiffened up on the drive over. From the matching groan on the other side of the vehicle he wasn't the only one.

"Roll bars hurt, man."

"Better than the alternative though."

"Yeah, much better." Jack said much more subdued than Mac expected.

Jack had managed to avoid any fractures, but his right leg and hip were bruised badly and Mac was limping slightly on his ankle. They both knew there was no way they were going to make it up several flights of stairs so they risked the elevator and thankfully didn't bump into any of Jack's curious neighbours.

Once through the door, Jack quickly made a recon of his apartment checking for any signs of disturbance. If Murdoc knew where Mac lived there was every chance he'd done his research properly and also knew where Jack lived. Matty had sent teams earlier to each of their homes check the security but you really couldn't be too careful when dealing with Murdoc. Finding no signs of anything out of the ordinary in any of the rooms Jack relaxed and wandered back into his kitchen area, opening the fridge.

"Hey, bud, you hungry?"

He didn't get an answer. Jack turned away from the dismal offerings in his fridge and saw Mac had already sat down on the sofa and had his head resting against the back with his eyes shut. Jack sighed. The kid was exhausted. Hell, if Jack was being honest, he'd passed exhausted himself a few hours ago and he hadn't had even half the day Mac had. He walked over to the sofa and tapped Mac's knee with the back of his hand, keeping his distance in case he came up swinging.

"Hey, Mac, wake up. You need to sleep in a bed, buddy, not on the sofa."

"Mmmm, wasn't sleeping." Mac mumbled but didn't open his eyes or otherwise show any signs of moving.

"Really?" Jack smiled and sat down next to him. "Had me fooled."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

Jack felt his own eyes sliding closed.

"We should go to bed." Mac said softly.

"Yeah," Jack said with a light chuckle. "We really should." He pushed himself to his feet. "C'mon." He reached down to help pull Mac up.

"You good?" Jack asked once he was vertical, making sure Mac was still steady on his feet.

"I'm good."

"Shout if you need anything."

"This is practically my second home Jack, I know where everything is."

"You know what I mean."

A small smile tugged at Mac's mouth. "Yeah. I do. You too."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Night."

Jack watched Mac stumble sleepily through to the spare room before turning to his nightly checks of all the doors, windows and security systems. And if tonight he double and triple checked them? Well, he didn't think anyone would blame him.

* * *

Mac woke up with a gasp, immediately sitting up. Then curling in on himself as his ribs protested.

It was the third time this had happened and he'd only been trying to get some sleep for… he checked his watch, two hours. This time he'd barely begun to drift off before Murdoc's face came screaming into his mind much like it had in the med bay at Phoenix. He rubbed the inside of his right arm, he was sporting an impressive bruise there and it ached. The constant reminder of being drugged and cuffed helplessly to that chair was definitely not helping him get to sleep. It almost tempted him to take some of the painkillers he'd been sent home with.

He flipped the covers off and stood up, padding bare foot into Jack's living room. A change of scenery, maybe a tylenol to take the edge off and he'd try again.

He went over to the door to Jack's balcony and cracked it open slightly. Just enough that he could feel the cool night breeze. He could smell the fresh air and hear the quiet rumble of traffic and he took as deep a breath as he could manage. It was far from a damp basement that smelt of bleach and burnt motor oil.

"Hey man,"

Mac jumped, much to his embarrassment.

"What're you doing up? Do you need your painkillers?" Jack asked as he come over and leant against the back of a chair. Mac shook his head.

"I'm good. Sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't." Jack didn't elaborate and Mac wondered if he was also having trouble sleeping. He remembered how Jack had told him how they'd been turning over every stone and then some in their search for him but that his trail had gone cold. For the first time, Mac realised just how helpless his friends must have felt as well.

"Rough day, huh?" Mac said, giving Jack an opening to talk about it if he wanted to.

"Oh yeah," Jack agreed wholeheartedly. "And you got the worst of it."

"It's not a competition, Jack." Mac said as he shut the door and sat down in a chair, Jack followed him around and sat opposite. Jack took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over his head.

"I couldn't sleep because… you apologised to me, but I never apologised to you. I'm sorry I kept putting you to voicemail. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"It wasn't your fault, Jack. You couldn't have known."

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "No, I knew there was some guy tailing you. I shouldn't have assumed he was the only one."

Jack wasn't wrong, they shouldn't have assumed, especially as they never found out who he was working for, but Jack also wasn't the _only_ highly trained operative here. Mac knew he should have been more careful too.

"It is _not_ your fault, Jack. If anything its mine."

"What? Now that's just rubbish, man."

Mac shook his head.

"I should have been more careful. And I kinda felt like it was, I dunno, karma, in a way. I'd all but pushed you away, told you to stop being a helicopter parent and then I go and get myself kidnapped and all I wanted was for you to swoop in and save the day."

"Mac," Jack sighed. "I thought you didn't believe in karma."

"I don't." Mac quickly agreed. "But sometimes it feels as if life is trying to teach me a lesson. And it's one I've listened to this time."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Jack asked.

"Don't push your family away. Even if they are annoyingly overprotective." Mac said with a wry smile.

Jack stared at him, in that way he had that made Mac wonder if Jack could read his mind. He always seemed to know what Mac was really trying to say, even when he couldn't come out and actually say it.

"It doesn't matter how hard you push me away, I'm always going to come for you, Mac, I hope you know that. I know you don't want, or _need_, another parent, let alone a helicopter one but how about a slightly overprotective big brother? That okay with you?"

"More than okay, Jack." Mac said with a smile and held out his hand for a fist bump.

_Brothers._

Jack bumped his fist then shifted across to sit on the sofa next to Mac whilst grabbing the TV remote.

"Right, I'm going to find a random Bruce Willis film and we'll see who can fall asleep first watching it."

"Is everything a competition for you, Jack?" Mac laughed but settled back into the sofa, dragging a cushion across to hug and brace his chest. Jack ignored him and hit play on Armageddon.

Mac was asleep before NASA arrived at the oil rig.

Jack turned the sound down and smiled.

* * *

Unbeated so please let me know of any glaring errors or typos. Also, thank you for taking the time to read my fic, its the longest one I've written in quite a while and I'd appreciate hearing what you think of it!


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